Card-feeding device for printing presses



Oct. 21 1924:

M. F. ATKINSON CARD FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Oct. 21 24- 1,512,571 M. F. ATKINSQN CARD FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Sept. 29 922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. F. ATKINSON CARD FEEDING DEVICE FOR FRINTINQ PRESSES "fined Sept. 29, 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 5 MW "an a h an mw w Ira/emf:

i an mm m6, a

anism hereinafter described.

Patented Get. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES MILLARD F. ATKINfiON, OF PALMYEA, NEW JERSEY.

GARIDFEEDING DEVICE PRINTTNG PRESSES.

Application filed September 29, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILLARD F. ATKIN- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmyra, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gard- Feeding Devices for Printing Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in card feeding devices for printing presses and other machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and efhcient mechanism which will feed cards successively from a first position within a card containing magazine to a second position forwardly of the magazine, and from the second position to a third or impression receiving position forwardly of the second position.

With the foregoing and related objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a printing press provided with a card feeding device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the machine, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the card feeders in the rearward position.

Figure 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the card feeders in the forward position.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the ma chine, on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 6 designates the base frame of the machine and 7 a table supported thereon. Upon the table 7 near the rearward end thereof is a magazine 8; adapted to contain a stack or quantity of cards A to, be printed; and upon the table 7 near the forward end thereof is a tympan 9 to which the cards A are moved successively from within the magazine 8 by mech- Above the tylnpan 9 is a type carrying member 10, which is pivoted, at 11,. on brackets 12 projecting fixedly from the forward end of the table 7. The member 10 is provided with a removable chase 13, which is clamped thereto and which holds the form or type 14 in the usual manner. The member 10 Serial 110581271.

is adapted to be raised and lowered by suit? able mechanism, not shown, to effect the printing of the cards A as they successively occupy positions upon the tympan 9.

The magazine 8 comprises a front wall 15, side walls 16, a rear wall 1? and a bottom formed by the upper surface of the table 7. The front wall 15 is secured to brackets 18, which are secured to the table '7. The rear wall 17 is formed integral with and extends upwardly from the forward end of a plate 19 which rests upon the table 7 and has a longitudinal slot 20 formed therein.

The plate 19 and therewith the rear wall 17 of the magazine are adapted to be-adjusted toward and from the front wall 15 and to be held in different positions of adjustment by set screw 21 extending through the slot'20 and screwed into the table 7. The wall 17 is maintained in parallel relation to the wall 15 during the adiustment of the wall 17 by the screw 21 and a projection 22 extending downwardly from one side of the plate 19 and into a guide slot 23 in the table 7; v

The side walls 16 of the magazine are secured to and extend upwardly from the rearward extensions 24- of two side plates 25 which rest upon the table '5', the extensions 24L extending between the front wall 15 of the magazine 8 and the inner or opposing vertical surfaces of the plates 25, forming,

in effect, continuations of the magazine side walls 16.

The inner or opposing surfaces of the plates 25 extend from the magazine 8 to the tympan 9 and form guides for the ends of the cards A as they are projected successively from the magazine tothe tympan. The plates 25 are provided with thin ledges 26 which extend inwardly from the bottom of the inner surfaces of the plates and rest upon the table 7 and are adapted to receive the edge portions of the ends of the cards A which are moved over the ledges 26 while being guided by the plates 25. Above the ledges 26 are bars 27 which extend between the forward ends of the plates 25 and the front wall 15 of the magazine 8 and which are carried by flat springs 28 secured on the plates 25. When the cards A are guided, by the plates 25, the end edge portions of the cards pass between the ledges 26 and the bars 27, and the bars 27 serve to hold the cards down upon the ledges. The rearward i an f the plates is a shaft 29 which is incu;

to turn in bearings 30 rising from the s ends of the bars 2'? are beveled to insure the passage of the cards beneath them when the cards leave the magazine 3.

As a means to simultaneously adjust the guide plates 25 and therewith the side walls 16 of the magazine toward and from each other to accommodate cards of different lengths 'l provide the following: Extending transversely across the machine above ofthe table 7. One end of the one, 5,- provided with hand wheel 31 by means whic i the shaft may be turned. '5, he ."espective end portions ofthe shaft 29 are provided with oppositely-pitched screw-threads which are screwed into and through brackets 32 on the guide plates 25 whereby the plates 25 and wall 16 may be adjusted either toward or from each other as desired by turning the shaft 29.

Formed on the bottom of the table 7 are downwardly extending ribs 33 which extend longitudinally of the machine and form guideways S t for the reception of the lateral guiding ribs 35 of a block or cross-head which is mounted to slidelongitudinally .within the guideways 3%. The block 36 is provided with a pair of rearward cart. feeders 37 and a pair of forward curd feeders which extend upwardly from the block 3" and into and through parallel openings h in the table 7. The forward edge portions of the card feeders 3'? and'38 extendabove the plane of the upper surface of the table a distanceequal or substantially equal to the thickness of one of the cards A, and the top surfaces of the feeders 3? and 38 are beveled rearwardly and downwardly so that their rearward edges are below the planeof the upper surface of the table 7, so than when the bloclr 36 is moved forwardly, the forward edges of the feeders 37 and 38 will enthe rearward edges of cards upon the table 7 and which they encounter in their paths and feed thorn forwardly, and so that, when the block 36 is moved rearwardly, the feeders 3? and 38 will pass beneath and slightly raise the cards which they encounter in their paths and pass beneath tnern.

The block or cross-head 36 is connected by the link 39 to an arm 40 extending from a rock shaft e'l which is mounted to be rocked in suitable bearings in the base frame 6. The shaft 4 1 is rovidcd with an arm 1 2 having a to connected thereto by means of which of; all ma be melted to reoc t 36 ans. thereby move it and therewith the card feeders 37 and 38 forwardly froin the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. and back again. The bar 43 may be operated by the mechanism of the printing press or otherwise.

'Duringthe reciprocations of the block 36 aaine 8 I provide the following: The front wall 1 5 ()l the inar asine has a \crtieull u l- N le panel i1 "erted into :1 guide openi' therein and varied by :1 vertical screw ei whose lower end is screwed into a projection ll" on. the panel ll. The screw -1 is mounted to turn in a bracket 41' on the ion ward face of the front wall 15 o! the mug zine, ver al n'iovenient of the screw it within the l 4!? being prevented by a head and a coi on the screw if above and b icltet 4:7. It will thus be seen Jig the screw the panel ll d or lowered to permit cards of which extends thereuuco above the table T lo 10 tympan 5) and directly path irarrrsmi by the cards A from feeders 3'? and 38 are my from the pos tion snow? position shown in Fig. S the aces of the feeders 3T 1' in i i i l the magazine until the forward a of the feeders 3? escape the r air ward edges of the cards within the mags Zine while the rearward wall i? of the manariinc prevents the curds A from moving with the i s 3?; and the beveled upper surfaces of too feeders 3S raise the card in the position shown at A- in Fig. 1 until the forward edgres o, {h feeders 3S escape the rearward edge of the card shown at A in Fig. ll

Then the feeders 37 and 38 are moved forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4-, the forward edges of the feeders 37 engages the rearward edge of the lowermost tar-d A in the magazine 3 and move it therefrom to the position shown at A in Fig. 4;; and the forward edges of the feeders 38 engage the rearward edge of the card previously moved by the feeders 37 to the position shown at A and move it from the position shown at A to the position shown at A upon the tyinpan 9. After the movement of each card to the tyinpan 9 the next succeeding card in being moved from the position shown at the position A to the position shown at A engages the card upon the tympan and moves it ferwardlytherefrom and discharges it into a chute 51 from which it may be put into any suitable receptacle or be discharged upon the table supporting the machine frame 6. To prevent the card A in the positio shown at A in Fig. 4 from moving rearwardly with the feeders 38 as they pass beneath the card during the rearward movement of the feeders, I provide the following: Rising fixedly from the bar is a screw or post 52; having a head 53 on the upper end thereof and fitted to slide vertically on the post 52 is a transversely extending hlock 54 which is pressed downwardly upon the bar 50 by a spring 55 eneirclingthe post 52 between the head 53 thereon and the block 54:. The ends of the block 54C have two horizontal bars 56 secured thereto and extending longitudinally ever the path of movement of the two forward feeders 38; In the normal position of the block 54 the bottom surfaces of the bars 56 are slightly below the path of movement of the upper surfaces of the cards A, and the rearward ends of the bars 56 are provided with downwardly extending abutments 57 whose forward surfaces are adapted to engage the rearward edges of the cards in the position shown at A and prevent rearward movement thereof. The bottom surfaces of the abutments 57 are beveled rearwardly and upwardly to permit the abutments to be raised out of the path of the cards as they are moved forwardly beneath the same. In the normal position of the bars 56 the bottom surfaces thereof are slightly below the path of the upper surfaces of the cards A, so that, when the cards are moved from the magazine 8 to the position A the bars 56 and their abutments 57 will be raised by the cards against the action of the spring 55 and thereafter the spring 55 will press the bars 56 gently upon the cards so as to insure the engagement of the abutments 57 with the rearward edges of the cards and the consequent prevention of the rearward movement of the cards from the position shown at A by the feeders 38 during the rearward movements of the feeders. As the feeders 38 are moved rearwardly beneath a card in the position shown at A the beveled upper surfaces of the feeders 38 raise the card and therewith the bars 56 against the action of the spring 55 until the forward edges of the feeders 38 escape the rearward edge of the card, whereupon the spring 55 depresses the bars 56 and therewith the card beneath them, so that the rearward edge of the card will be in the path of movement of the forward edges of the feeders 38 to be moved thereby from the position shown at A to the position shown at A The tops of the feeders 38 are provided with clearance grooves 58 for the reception of the bars 56 and their abutments 57 during the reciprocations of the feeders 38.

The lower portion of the rear wall 17 of the magazine 8 is provided with two card supporting lingers 60 which extend forwardly therefrom into the central portions of the openings 49 in the table 7 and which are formed integral therewith. The upper surfaces of these fingers 60 are flush with the upper surface of the table 7, and the rearward feeders 37 are provided with clearance grooves 61 in the tops thereof for the reception of the lingers 60 when the feeders 3"? pass the same, The purpose of the fingers 60 is to support the cards within the magazine 8 centrally of the openings &9 in the proper position relatively to the rearward feeders 37 to permit them to engage and move the lowermost card from the magazineas pressure is applied to the cards within the magazine by hand or other means during the operation of the machine.

I claim 1. The combination of a supporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders for feeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said second position to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, a spring pressed bar adapted to engage the top surfaces of the cards in the second position thereof, and an abutment extending downwardly from the bar and adapted to be engaged by the rearward edges of the cards when they are in the second position to prevent rearward movement thereof.

2. The combination. of a supporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders for feeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said second position to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, a spring pressed ba-r adapted to engage the top surfaces of the cards in the second position thereof, and an abutment extending downwardly from the bar and adapted to be engaged by the rearward edges of the cards when they are in the second position to prevent rearward movement thereof, said abutment having a beveled portion adapted to be engaged by the cards to move the abutment out of the path of the cards while they are passing it;

3. The combination of a supporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders forifeeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said second position to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, and an abutment movable into and from the path of the cards rearwardly of said second position to prevent rearward movement of the cards therefrom, the for- Ward card feeder having a beveled upper surface to raise the cards in the second position thereof during the rearward movementc'of'the forward feeder.

4c. The combination of asupporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders for feeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said secondposition to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, and a spring pressed abutment movable into and from the path of the cards rearwardly of said second position to prevent. rearward movement of the cards therefrom, said abutment having a beveled portion adapted to be engaged by the cards to move the abutment out of the path of the cards while they are passing it, and the forward card feeder .having a beveled upper surface to raise the cards'in the second position thereof during the rearward movement of the forward feeder.

5. The combination of a supporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders for feeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said second position to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, a spring pressed bar adapted to engage the top surfaces of the cards in the second position thereof, and an abutment extendlng downwardly from the bar and adapted to be engaged by the rearward edges of the cards when they are in the second position to prevent rearward movement there of, said abutment having a beveled portion adapted to be engaged by the cards to more the abutment out of the path of the cards while they are passing it, and the forward card feeder having a beveled upper surface to raise the cards in the second position thereof during the rearward movement of the forward feeder.

6. The combination of a supporting table provided with card guiding means, rearward and forward card feeders for feeding cards successively from a first position on the table to a second position thereon and from said second position to a third position, respectively, means for reciprocating the feeders, a spring pressed bar above the path of movement of the forward feeder and adapted to engage the top surfaces of the cards as they pass the bar, and an abutment extending downwardly from the bar and adapted to be engaged by the rearward edges of the cards when they are in the second position to prevent rearward movement thereof, said abutment having a beveled portion adapted to be engaged by the cards to move the abutment out of the path of the cards while they are passing it, and said forward feeder having a clearance groove therein for the reception of said abutment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

MILLARD F. ATKINSON. 

